Vietnam on Saturday approved the construction of a high-speed railway connecting the capital Hanoi in the north to Ho Chi Minh city in the south at an estimated cost of $67 billion.

The railway, which will stretch more than 1,500 kilometres (930 miles) from the capital in the north to the country's business hub in the south, will reduce the current journey time by rail from 30 hours to around five.

Vietnam is going ahead with a multi-billion-dollar high-speed rail line that will link around 20 destinations and span over 957 miles, the country's federal parliament confirmed on Saturday.

Vietnam will start building a $67 billion high-speed rail network to connect its northern and southern provinces in 2027, as the government plans large infrastructure projects to support its economic growth ambitions.

Vietnam's 15th National Assembly has passed a resolution on the investment policy for the north-south high-speed railway project with a total investment of 1.7 quadrillion Vietnamese dong (about US$67 billion).

HO CHI MINH CITY] Vietnam’s parliament on Saturday (Nov 30) voted to approve a policy to use public investment for the country’s largest-ever high-speed railway project connecting the capital Hanoi with the southern metropolis of Ho Chi Minh City.

Vietnam has approved the construction of a high-speed railway between Hanoi in the north and Ho Chi Minh City in the south. Vietnam on Saturday announced plans to build a $67- billion high-speed railway from the northern capital,